The Norwegian military's request for an increase in energy consumption at the submarine base in Ramsund, Troms, has been denied, leading to renewed discussions regarding the overall capacity of Norway's power grid and who should be prioritized for energy access. A significant concern has emerged as various actors in Northern Norway have been identified who either have already secured capacity or are still awaiting it. This has raised questions about the fairness and efficiency of power allocations amidst the growing demand for energy resources in the region.

Kristoffer Sivertsen of the Progress Party (Frp) has expressed worries that some entities are occupying capacity slots in the queue without being adequately prepared to utilize the energy efficiently. He proposes implementing a power reservation fee that would compel these entities to reconsider their requests before pursuing capacity reservations. The idea behind this measure is to discourage opportunistic energy seekers who may not have adequately developed projects from taking up valuable slots in the power allocation system.

Currently, according to Statnett, numerous operators have reserved nearly 8,000 megawatts of power, while Norway's maximum electricity consumption is around 25,000 megawatts. Furthermore, there are over 12,400 megawatts of capacity still requested and awaiting allocation. Sivertsen argues that the existing system for reserving power is insufficiently binding, which necessitates reforms to ensure that those seeking to reserve power can effectively meet their commitments and that capacity is allocated more judiciously in line with actual demand and preparedness.